“Finally tonight, a few words about championship rings. Just when did they become the all-important barometer of who does or doesn’t count in sports? When did they supersede personal excellence or exemplary character as a standard of greatness?

“I got to thinking about that the other night after the self-anointed chosen one, LeBron James, embarrassed himself as he tried to make his decision to seek rings in Miami sound like a search for the Holy Grail. It’s when he essentially admitted to placing a higher priority on winning than anything else.

“LeBron’s decision is typical of our immediate gratification era, but it flies in the face of history. Even though he never won a title, Dan Marino is still the biggest hero in Florida. And in Boston, all those Celtics championships are dimmed by the unforgettable brilliance of Ted Williams, who never won anything. In Chicago, Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus have legendary status despite playing on losing teams. And even in the NBA, where guys seem obsessed with being viewed as ‘the man’, real men like Barkley, Ewing and Baylor are ringless, but revered.

“Despite such evidence to the contrary, LeBron James seems to think he needs a ring to change his life and secure his legacy. Maybe he’ll get one, maybe he won’t, but it’s probable that no amount of rings will ever remove the stench he wallowed in last week. LeBron may yet find that in the court of public opinion, just as putting on a tux can’t make a guy a gentleman, winning a ring can’t make one truly a champion.”

he truth starts to come out that LeQuit has been an A-#1 asshole since he's come into the league. No wonder he didn't get any quality playing time during the 2004 Olympics -- Larry Brown probably couldn't stomach him.

Ol' No.11 wrote:The truth starts to come out that LeQuit has been an A-#1 asshole since he's come into the league. No wonder he didn't get any quality playing time during the 2004 Olympics -- Larry Brown probably couldn't stomach him.

Ol' No.11 wrote:he truth starts to come out that LeQuit has been an A-#1 asshole since he's come into the league. No wonder he didn't get any quality playing time during the 2004 Olympics -- Larry Brown probably couldn't stomach him.

JCoz wrote:I have never heard that term before now, looked it up, is this a commonly known/used term?

Pretty much only in a governmental/corporate/political sense. It's also a traditional position for newspapers, college adminisitration, stuff like that. I just enjoy it because it's such a funny word. Scandinavian in origin, I think.

Classic reference that sticks with me: Bloom County, the lovable penguin protagonist Opus enters his new job as the Bloom Picayune's Ombudsman. The question is asked, "why is the position called that?" We are shown why in the final frame when a frazzled Opus, gasping from a day's stress of dealing with complaints from readers, exclaims: "Oh, somebody get me a bud, man!"